Bangladeshi premier urges UN migration agency to find new sources of funding for Rohingya

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday called for finding new sources of funding for Rohingya who are living in the South Asian nation.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) should "find new partners to raise more funds to support Rohingya in Bangladesh as the funds for the displaced Myanmar nationals have decreased," Hasina told IOM Director General Amy Pope during a meeting in the capital Dhaka.

The Bangladesh prime minister also called on the IOM to help relocate Rohingya to Bhasan Char Island.

Bhasan Char islet emerged from the Bay of Bengal in 2006 and is about 30 kilometers (21 miles) from the mainland.

The majority of Rohingya living in Bangladesh fled a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine, Myanmar in 2017. Most of them are housed in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, but since late 2020 about 35,000 have been relocated to the island of Bhasan Char.

The IOM chief met Hasina after paying a visit to refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar on Monday.

Last year, the ration fund for Rohingya was cut to $8 from $12 per person per month – that’s less than 10 cents per meal.

The ration cuts affect approximately 1 million refugees who remain dependent on aid with no possibility of employment to sustain their livelihood, according to UN Bangladesh.